Goal Setting: Shine

[singedsun]

I am not big on resolutions or goal setting at the new year, it's so hard to know what the year will bring and I hate the idea of getting halfway through the year and realizing something isn't possible because of circumstances that might be beyond my control. I keep a bullet journal (and have been keeping something like it since before 'bullet journals' were a thing) and use it pretty much daily. When there's something I want to work toward, I tend to brain dump a lot of little stage tasks that I know will help me get there.

For instance, I've been wanting to do a living room purge and rearrange for awhile now. Though money and circumstance have made that a little difficult. But in my bullet journal I have a task/brain dump page for all the little things that could be done. Like picking out a new sofa style even if I can't buy it yet. Or moving the television, which will facilitate space to move the old sofa where I'd like the new one when we can get it. Throwing away/Donating or Selling old media to make room and have less to move. That kind of thing. I don't work under the assumption that'll all happen in a month, let alone this year.

I also have a career goal of working my way into management. I've been a team lead several times, but every time I get there some circumstance, reorganization or timing issue gets in my way at the place I'm working. This isn't in my control and if I like the job (or place of my job) enough, I'll stay until something forces me to move on: contracts, environment, mergers. The goal still exists and I can still work with it in mind, talk to my manager to make those intentions known and watch for management positions, but that doesn't mean I'm going to get there. And that's okay to me, as long as I'm not drowning in stress or toxicity where I'm working (like I was last year) I don't mind staying where I am if all other conditions are workable.

Literally the only "goals" I make for myself are nice wants, nothing that I know at the end of the year I'll feel like I should have done. I do my best (my very virgo best) to live outside of the "shoulds" because it's not good for my mental health. My wants are usually daily things like: keeping a gratitude log, doing a duolingo lesson, a mimo lesson, a reiki session/practice or lesson, reading a little (no specific page or word count goal) & writing (if I can - again without a specific daily goal of words). None of these will I be mad at myself if I miss a day, none of these I "track" except for to put them in my bullet journal as daily tasks (so I'm not totaling up how many days I did the thing in a month or for the year). It's just for me, just for the day, and there's no stakes attached. Things like putting on moisturizer and chilling out before bed with an ASMR video... these things aren't even things I put as "to dos" they're just habits I want to do as much as I do brushing my teeth or taking my meds. So they don't get tracked at all.

I do track my written words throughout the year and I have a spreadsheet that auto-build charts for me by month and by project. But that's track the number of words written when I do write - with a GYWO out goal of 75k in a year because I know that's reasonable for me to achieve. Like using Goodreads to set a 40 books to read this year goal. They're low stakes, nothing in my life depends on those and they're not specific to 2022 anymore than any other year.

At this age in my life, I know what I'm capable of in a year (generally speaking) and I'm usually content to maintain and add to, if possible. I know in my last post I mentioned my media tracking, a thing I am big on doing -- but it's not for a purpose. It's literally meaningless, I just enjoy doing it.

I guess my issue is just that for me, I don't need an end date on my goal setting. They're all nice to haves, or interesting to do, and if I reach them... great! and if I don't, I don't.

With all that said, I did yesterday in my practice write down like the most general "goals" for this year. [As an aside, my mother in law gave me a Spell a Day journal for Christmas and my aim is to check it every day for things I could potentially enjoy working. January 1sts, obviously, was about goals and setting intentions for achievement. With that in mind I did set some goal intentions, but like I said in the most general/generic way possible.]

Also, I do choose a word every year as my overall intention. For 2022, it's SHINE. For me, "Shine" is just about putting my best foot forward, in work, in writing, in personal growth. My word for 2021 was "Growth" and I certainly did a lot of that. So for 2022 I want to use that to just be a little bit of a more content me, a happier me in a way that's outwardly noticeable to others.

So here's what I have for 2022:

1. To work towards a manager position at my new job (there's some training I might be able to take, and my manager left just a few days ago and I've been asked if it's something I'm interested in -- I said I was). I am very new to this job so if it doesn't happen in 2022 I can at least make some progress towards putting myself forward for a job like that.
2. I want to complete a NaNo month again. I had to forgo November about halfway through last year due to the job change, so I'd like to try one of the months (April, June or November) this year and make the 50k.
   For writing in general, my goal is only to write more than last year -- which in turn goes toward my 75k GYWO goal (I hit 76k last year.) 200k was definitely too big a reach for me.
3. I want to see the grandsons at least twice next year - either in Florida or have them here since very shortly the divorce paperwork will be settled and they'll be free to visit. Twice is doable given my vacation time at the new job and travel availability.

And that's really it for the year. Not that there aren't other things I want to do... pay off some bills, maybe get a new car, the living room thing I mentioned. But those aren't "GOALS" for me. If I go another whole year without making a dent in those... or I make a dent but don't finish the whole thing? That's fine by me.

Comments

[tellshannon815]

Oh I get that, so often we start the year with goals and then there ends up being a reason they don't work. Good luck!

[ironworked]

That's a really good way to look at things and work towards them, or so it seems to me!

[lassarina]

Finding goals that work is a big challenge and I'm so glad you have figured out what does and doesn't work for you in terms of that. (Me, I do a lot of very specifically measurable goals that are stretches, mostly because Virgo Brain Loves A Checklist, but also I do it that way so I can point out to my brain what I *did* accomplish.)

[honigfrosch]

You're so sensible and practical about your goals, which I find an admirable trait! (Not that I wish I had it or anything, lol)

[kay_brooke]

That sounds like a really healthy way to set goals. Good luck!

[senmut]

You can do this!

[used_songs]

I think it's really wise not to frame the notion of goal-setting as something to measure yourself against. I'm going to think about that.

[karenjanee]

I wish you the best for these goals. And good luck with the de-cluttering - I've been working on this for over a year with my home - it is exhausting, but it has also helped me get rid of unwanted items, and think twice about buying new things. As a bonus, I also really like my house now!

[sideways]

The "wants" attitude makes a lot of sense as a mindframe, and I LOVE "shine" as a yearly theme. Best of luck in bringing the sun!